A Fury Of Aces: Crystal Venom Part 24

ICE (Intravenous Combat Enhancement).

Type AM and AE humans possess additional bioware and one feature of this is ICE, drugs which improve strength and speed, but when the crisis is over, the user must have food and long periods of rest.

Lagrange Points (LPs) Lagrange points are spread throughout s.p.a.ce as navigational nodes where a ship uses its wormhole generators function. They are usually plotted and owned by the Haulers' Collective.

The Octopoids.

An ancient alien race now splintered into diverse groups. The primary group just wants to be left alone to regress to their original semi-sentient selves. The secondary group wishes to take back their areas of influence.

Species Type Investigation (STI) STI is a complex series of blood tests used to determine whether someone is human and, if so, what kind of human they are.

The Sphere of Humankind The Sphere is the primary area of influence of man (approximately fifty light years across).

Appendix Two INITIALISATIONS, ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.

ACE Artificially Created Ent.i.ty AG Antigravity AI Augmented Intelligence.

AV Audiovisual ESF Earth Solar Flare (day/year zero for all of humanity; the event which forced humankind's exodus from Old Earth in the Sol system) GB Games Board.

HUD Heads-Up Display ICE Intravenous Combat Enhancement LP Lagrange Point RV Rendezvous.

SNCO Senior Non-Commissioned Officer STI Species Type Investigation Sub-AI Powerful computer system, just below sentience.

Appendix Three.

GAMES BOARD.

The Articles and Rules of War 1. CONFLICTS.

1.1. Conflicts over 100 combatants.

All parties engaging in Conflicts involving in excess of 100 combatants must gain approval for the Conflict and subsequent marketing.

1.2. Conflicts under 100 combatants.

Parties engaging in Conflicts involving fewer than 100 combatants may also apply to the Games Board for approval and certification provided that Conflicts meet the requirements of the Marketing Interest Index.

1.3. Funding.

Following approval, funding will be negotiated with each party.

2. Weapons.

All weapons systems and munitions types must be approved by the Games Board.

2.1. Approved weapons.

Approved weapons are listed in Schedule B.

2.2. New weapons.

Proposals for new weapon designs must be submitted to the Intersystem Games Board Weaponry Wing with supporting doc.u.ments proving their necessity in a Conflict. Weapon development without a specific known Conflict application does not require Games Board authorisation until used in a sanctioned Conflict.

2.2.1. Design parameters are listed in Schedule F.

2.2.2. Following approval, each weapon must be submitted for field testing and certification by the Weaponry Wing.

2.2.3. The ammunition for the weapon must be submitted for testing and certification.

2.3. Manufacture.

2.3.1. All weapons are manufactured under licence to the Weaponry Wing.

2.3.2. All ammunition will be under the direct control of the Weaponry Wing and through the Weaponry Wing's agents issued to the approved sides of any Conflict.

2.3.3. Additional weapons, spare parts and ammunition will also be administered by the Weaponry Wing's agents.

3. Ammunition.

All munitions deployed and used during any Conflict must be 'fire and forget' direct line-of-sight weapons. No munitions are allowed to be guided by any form of self-destructive AI system. All weapons deployed must have a maximum range, as specified in the Games Board Ammunitions table. All weapons must, at all times, and in any circ.u.mstances, be available for inspection and testing by any certified Battlefield Inspector, as warranted by the Planetary Director of the Games Board. Such inspector's decisions on the suitability of the weapons or munitions used will be final and binding on all parties involved, immediately The inspectors will also be able to award any costs incurred to any party involved, as they see fit.

4. Marketing.

The Games Board retains all marketing rights to the approved Conflicts and will, after the Conflict has been judged as concluded, award revenues generated by the marketing of the Conflict to either side, as seen fit by the Games Board.

5. Tactical battlefield questioning of any captured opposition combatants is allowed. However, any form of interrogation that lasts more than one standard hour is actively discouraged by the Conflict Marketing Unit. No recordings of any interrogation will be made after the one-hour deadline has pa.s.sed.

6. Heroic acts by individuals or units are greatly encouraged by the Conflict Marketing Unit. There must, however, be a specific objective for such acts; any form of kamikaze action, unless the partic.i.p.ants have already been judged by the Conflict Marketing Unit as legitimately mortally wounded, is actively discouraged.

7. The Games Board retains the right to end any Conflict by use of its own armed group known as the Expeditors, should any individual, unit, battalion or army group break the rules of engagement as judged by the Adjudicators.

8. All power in decision-making by the Games Board is vested in the board by the Governing Bodies of the Known Civilised Societies (the Administration). All decisions made by the Games Board officials, Adjudicators and Expeditors are final and deemed above reproach. The Games Board cannot be held responsible for loss or destruction of any materials or personnel.

9. Death of any partic.i.p.ant is to be avoided at all costs. All personnel in any approved Conflict are responsible for ensuring that their individual Soul Savers are backed up at approved Safe Points prior to any Conflict. Adjudicators will award 'Re-Life' costs against any individual or group, as they see fit.

10. AI individuals are to ensure their own backups and reanimation in whatever form they choose at their own discretion, should they see fit to take part in any Conflict.

11. It is expressly forbidden to involve, in any way, the local civilian population in any approved Conflict unless they, as individuals, sign an approval with the Games Board, in which case they will then be deemed combatants with all the rights, remuneration and responsibilities that such a designation entails.

12. Weapons of Ma.s.s Destruction are only to be used with the express approval of the Planetary Director of the Games Board. Nuclear weapons whose timed radioactive half-life exceeds one orbit of the nearest sun to the planet on which the weapons are deployed, are expressly forbidden.

13. Weapons which alter the genetic structure of any recognised biological group are expressly forbidden.

14. All air, sea and land warcraft must employ power systems that, as a main component, use a pressurised gas system to either drive turbines or act as electrical generators. Any power system that employs a flammable liquid as part of its power generation will require the express approval of the Planetary Director of the Games Board prior to deployment. Units utilising water cracker technologies will be given the most favourable status and immediate approval. Units using systems deemed archaic, or any technology that is over 200 years old in design, will also be given favoured status. Such units are able to have no greater than a ten per cent advanced technology input unless that advanced technology is the water cracker type.

15. Orbiting weapons platforms are forbidden as are all Orbital Surveillance Systems.

16. Aircraft and drones used for battlefield surveillance must be unarmed.

17. All aircraft and flying craft of any description are speed restricted to that of the local speed of sound. Their range, on a single supply of fuel or power cell, must not exceed 1000 kilometres. Their maximum combat ceiling is restricted to 5000 metres.

18. Antigravity craft of any description and devices are approved with the acknowledged restrictions of aircraft, land- and watercraft.

19. Watercraft of any description are not to exceed 10,000 metric tonnes dry weight. No ship is to exceed a speed of 350 kilometres per hour, or to carry any armament of any description exceeding 300mm diameter for ammunition size. The maximum fuel allowance of any watercraft of either surface or submersible description is seven standard days at full power. Maximum depth allowable for any form of submersible is 100 standard metres.

20. Land vehicles, including armoured fighting vehicles, are not to exceed a dry weight of 100 metric tonnes, must not exceed 120 kilometres per hour speed or carry a weapon of any description which exceeds 150mm in diameter and two metres in length. The maximum fuel endurance at full power must not exceed sixteen standard hours.

21. All communication systems for the Conflict must be by way of standard frequency modulated radio with a maximum range of 200 kilometres.

22. Capture and use of any opposition's personnel and equipment is allowed at any time. Ownership considerations will be judged at the termination of the Conflict. Personnel are to be given the opportunity to switch sides, should such occasions as a rout occur, as judged by the Conflict Marketing Unit. All ranks, pay rates and bonus considerations must remain in place. Any individual or unit which attempts to change sides without the express approval of the Conflict Marketing Unit can be judged as hostile by all sides and removed from the battlefield pending penalties.

23. No battlefield recording by video or audio is to be made by any member of the Conflict. This is the express concern of the Games Board and its production wing, the Conflict Marketing Unit. All images, recordings, surveillance images and satellite images are the property of the Conflict Marketing Unit. Once the battle timings have commenced all personnel involved in the Conflict can be recorded by the agents of the Conflict Marketing Unit at any time and in whatever circ.u.mstances the agent deems to be of marketable interest.

24. It is expressly forbidden for any member of any side of a Conflict to interfere with or hinder any recording agent of the Conflict Marketing Unit, in whatever action they are performing. All planned actions in the Conflict, at all levels, must be made available to the recording agents, who can then record any actions of interest. All personnel involved in the Conflict are required to advise the agents of anything noteworthy or interesting of which the agents are not aware. The recording agents (with the approval of the local agent of the Games Board) can require the set battle, as notified, to be fought again if it is found some action or actions were particularly noteworthy and the recordings of such were not deemed satisfactory by the unit editor. Should such occur, the Conflict Marketing Unit is to carry the cost of weapons repairs and additional issuing of ammunitions, transportation and specific briefings of new combatants. Should any action of any members of the Conflict have caused the requirement of the re-recording, then costs will be awarded accordingly, as decided by an Adjudicator of the Games Board.

25. All members of any acknowledged Conflict are required to actively pursue, capture or, at very least, immediately report any non-sanctioned weapons ammunition, arms dump, supplier or manufacturer of non-sanctioned weapons to the nearest member or agent of the Games Board. Death of any known, non-approved arms manufacturer, supplier or dealer is sanctioned. Bounties for the proven death or capture of such individuals are immediately payable to the approved individuals concerned by the Conflict Marketing Unit.

PENALTIES.

Members, agents and direct employees of the Games Board, and its marketing, intelligence, weapons and enforcement components, are charged under these articles to enforce the will and requirements of the Games Board at all times. Penalties from minor monetary fines up to and including total death can be awarded by any member agent or direct employee of the Games Board, acting in conjunction with two other members of the Games Board, as long as those individuals are from different wings of the Games Board.

RIGHT OF APPEAL.

This right will only be awarded if there occurs a possible consideration of a difference of opinion, between at least three or more a.s.signed members of the Games Board or its agents, at the time of any specific incident to which a penalty is about to be awarded.

Penalties are as follows: o Deduction of individual's daily pay.

o Forfeiture of any or all specific battle bonuses.

o Forfeiture of Recognition.

o Forfeiture of Equipment.

o Forfeiture of Rank.

o Forfeiture of Battle Rights.

o Forfeiture of Freedom.

o Forfeiture of all unit a.s.sets both collectively and privately owned.

o Forfeiture of Re-Life as paid for by the Conflict Agreement Insurance.

o Forfeiture of Current Life.

o Complete and Total Death.

Steve Wheeler was given the choice at age eighteen of becoming either a Catholic priest or a policeman - he chose the latter. He has served in the military and, since 1987, has worked as a bronze sculptor, knifesmith and swordsmith. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children on their twenty-acre lifestyle block in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

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